What The Experts Are Saying About Blue Planet Network and PWX

This site has created a truly breakthrough approach, providing the coordination, information, and evaluation so critical for the success of water improvement projects. This community also provides easy access to best practices, helping water groups grow stronger and more effective through collaboration and peer review.

The Peer Water Exchange (PWX) is worthy of recognition because it truly is a pioneering attempt to overcome the hurdle of managing appropriately sized water and sanitation projects, and in particular, matching funders with these projects in a remarkably innovative way.

Water issues are critical and complex, and there are painfully few approaches I am aware of that have both the appeal and effectiveness of PWX. The PWX approach will foster a much broader base of impact for the same overall investment while generating local empowerment.

The PWX has shown that it is possible to scale and replicate community-based water
projects around the world. PWX is also empowering. PWX nurtures water leaders,
creates knowledge and serves society across the globe.

Blue Planet Network's initiative to use a peer review process to assess and approve water and sanitation projects is bold in its conception and inclusive in its method. Bringing in organizations and individuals in different parts of the world to the process of project selection and approval is both transparent and cost effective. Other organizations supporting water and sanitation projects may well have something to learn from this approach.

My strong hope is that other organizations see the potential of Blue Planet Network to shine a light on what is working in the water sector and put all their projects on this platform so that we all can do a better job while getting a fuller picture of the water sector and what is working long-term.

PWX offers Gram Vikas the ability to manage our projects and streamline our communications so that our people can learn faster, make smarter decisions, and be more efficient. . . . The rest of the world will be able to read all our reports.

What I saw in PWX took my breath away.I was also moved by your vision, the power of the tool and its rooting in collaboration.

PWX is one of the innovative and excellent methods of sanctioning the project proposals through peer group assessment. Through PWX, we had an opportunity to learn/know the different appropriate low cost and affordable technologies being used by partner NGOs in different parts of the world. Some of these technologies could be replicated in our areas, too. Under the PWX system, the project proposals are scrutinized and assessed by the all the partner NGOs. The PWX system is easy.

I see the Peer Water Exchange as an open platform where, for the first time, grassroots water groups were in charge of the project review and selection decision- making process. We truly are accountable for our actions because we have to provide detailed data on our projects that anyone interested can review online. What we have benefited most from, however, is the chance to regularly connect online with our peers to share ideas, develop projects together, and see the impact of other groups’ work and how it could improve our efforts. Our work is much stronger and more sustainable as a result.

PWX is an innovative way to address the issue of how a small organization can administer a great deal of funding without having to hire a huge staff. PWX is straightforward to use, and the review process shows that it also has potential to serve as a forum for knowledge sharing and peer mentoring.

PWX has the best approach to analyzing proposals in a very transparent manner. We thank the entire PWX team and Blue Planet Network for the unique initiative of scrutinizing applications and ensuring that even inexperienced groups like Oywa get a chance to participate in the process. We have really learnt a lot and expect to learn more with your continued support.

Joining PWX paid unexpected dividends. The responses to my proposal posed probing questions that caused me to delve deeper into some of the water project planning. Our focus in looking at water projects has expanded to consider the economic, environmental, political and sustainability issues more deeply. 

In evaluating grants proposed by other organizations, I learned about ways of structuring future grants more effectively. The experience was very helpful in many ways and I was happy to receive funding for one of our projects.